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County fails to pass speed-limit ordinance for Manchester Township after debate over study
Summary
The county board considered Ordinance 26-33 to lower speed limits on three Manchester Township roads but members split over the lack of a speed study; the motion failed on a 3-7 roll call and the issue will be revisited at the full county board.
The county board debated Ordinance 26-33, proposed to alter speed limits on Rockton Road, McCurry Road and Grama School Road in Manchester Township, and ultimately rejected the motion after a roll-call vote. The ordinance would have converted some unmarked segments to 35 mph and reduced other segments from 55 to 45 mph; the chair said the item will be brought to the full county board with additional information.
Highway department staff told the board a formal speed study was not completed before the motion and said a study is not required but recommended. "I do. I recommend having, some basis," the highway representative said when asked whether a study would be appropriate. Several board members argued a study or additional local context was necessary before changing limits, while at least one boardmember said a 35-mph limit was unreasonable for certain stretches. The motion failed on a roll call (three in favor, seven opposed); the chair said the item will return to the county board with further data and stakeholder input before any final action.
The discussion highlighted differences in how speed limits are calculated (the highway representative explained the federal 80th-percentile statistical method used in many studies) and included requests for the Manchester Township supervisor to explain the request to the board.
